1951–52 New York Knicks season
The 1951–52 New York Knicks season was the sixth season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished third in the Eastern Division with a 37–29 record, and advanced to the NBA Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.[3]
1951–52 New York Knicks season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Joe Lapchick[1] |
General manager | Ned Irish |
Arena | Madison Square Garden[1] |
Results | |
Record | 37–29 (.561) |
Place | Division: 3rd (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | NBA Finals (lost to Lakers 3–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WPIX |
Radio | WMGM[2] |
In the first round of the Eastern Division playoffs, the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in a best-of-three series, two games to one, to move on to the Eastern Division finals. New York won 3–1 in a best-of-five series with the Syracuse Nationals to reach its second straight NBA Finals.[3][4] In the Finals, the Knicks lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games.[4] The Knicks became the first NBA team to erase a 3–0 deficit in a best-of-seven series and force a deciding game 7.[5]
NBA draft
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.[6]
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Ed Smith | F | United States | Harvard |
2 | 15 | Roland Minson | G | United States | Brigham Young |
6 | 55 | Al McGuire | G/F | United States | St. John's |
Regular season
Season standings
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
x-Syracuse Nationals | 40 | 26 | .606 | – | 26–7 | 12–18 | 2–1 | 21–15 |
x-Boston Celtics | 39 | 27 | .591 | 1 | 22–7 | 10–19 | 7–1 | 22–14 |
x-New York Knicks | 37 | 29 | .561 | 3 | 21–4 | 12–22 | 4–3 | 23–13 |
x-Philadelphia Warriors | 33 | 33 | .500 | 7 | 24–7 | 6–25 | 3–1 | 14–22 |
Baltimore Bullets | 20 | 46 | .303 | 20 | 17–15 | 2–22 | 1–9 | 10–26 |
- x = clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1951–52 NBA records | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | BAL | BOS | FWP | IND | MIL | MIN | NYK | PHI | ROC | SYR |
Baltimore | — | 1–8 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 0–6 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 2–4 | 3–6 |
Boston | 8–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 3–3 | 4–5 |
Fort Wayne | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 5–4 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 0–6 |
Indianapolis | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–5 | — | 7–2 | 4–5 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 4–2 |
Milwaukee | 2–4 | 1–5 | 5–4 | 2–7 | — | 1–8 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–8 | 2–4 |
Minneapolis | 6–0 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 8–1 | — | 4–2 | 2–4 | 7–2 | 1–5 |
New York | 7–2 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–4 | — | 6–3 | 2–4 | 5–4 |
Philadelphia | 5–4 | 3–6 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 3–6 | — | 2–4 | 3–6 |
Rochester | 4–2 | 3–3 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 8–1 | 2–7 | 4–2 | 4–2 | — | 4–2 |
Syracuse | 6–3 | 5–4 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 2–4 | — |
Game log
1951–52 game log | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
1 | November 3 | @ Milwaukee | 68–66 | Vince Boryla (25) | 1–0 | |||||
2 | November 4 | @ Fort Wayne | 75–84 | Vince Boryla (23) | 1–1 | |||||
3 | November 6 | @ Indianapolis | 83–73 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 2–1 | |||||
4 | November 10 | Minneapolis | 89–73 | Nathaniel Clifton (15) | 2–2 | |||||
5 | November 11 | @ Rochester | 78–80 | Ray Lumpp (22) | 2–3 | |||||
6 | November 13 | @ Philadelphia | 85–82 | Max Zaslofsky (19) | 3–3 | |||||
7 | November 17 | Syracuse | 79–72 | Ernie Vandeweghe (17) | 3–4 | |||||
8 | November 18 | @ Boston | 93–87 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 4–4 | |||||
9 | November 20 | N Baltimore | 88–86 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 5–4 | |||||
10 | November 22 | Philadelphia | 88–102 | Nathaniel Clifton (23) | 6–4 | |||||
11 | November 24 | Boston | 70–68 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 6–5 | |||||
12 | November 23 | @ Syracuse | 73–100 | Vince Boryla (19) | 6–6 | |||||
13 | November 27 | @ Philadelphia | 81–83 | Nathaniel Clifton (22) | 6–7 | |||||
14 | November 29 | Rochester | 78–74 | Nathaniel Clifton (17) | 6–8 | |||||
15 | December 1 | @ Baltimore | 82–84 | Max Zaslofsky (20) | 6–9 | |||||
16 | December 2 | Philadelphia | 72–86 | Vince Boryla (30) | 7–9 | |||||
17 | December 7 | @ Philadelphia | 91–93 | Boryla, Gallatin (19) | 7–10 | |||||
18 | December 9 | @ Boston | 94–103 | Dick McGuire (20) | 7–11 | |||||
19 | December 11 | Milwaukee | 83–88 | Gallatin, Zaslofsky (19) | 8–11 | |||||
20 | December 14 | @ Indianapolis | 79–83 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 8–12 | |||||
21 | December 16 | @ Fort Wayne | 80–71 | Max Zaslofsky (16) | 9–12 | |||||
22 | December 18 | Minneapolis | 86–77 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 10–12 | |||||
23 | December 22 | Syracuse | 73–92 | Dick McGuire (21) | 11–12 | |||||
24 | December 23 | @ Syracuse | 75–72 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 12–12 | |||||
25 | December 25 | Fort Wayne | 65–72 | Max Zaslofsky (23) | 13–12 | |||||
26 | December 26 | N Milwaukee | 76–78 | Vince Boryla (16) | 13–13 | |||||
27 | December 27 | @ Rochester | 85–98 | Connie Simmons (20) | 13–14 | |||||
28 | December 30 | @ Boston | 90–100 | Connie Simmons (16) | 13–15 | |||||
29 | December 31 | Boston | 86–87 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (30) | 14–15 | |||||
30 | January 1 | @ Milwaukee | 68–65 | Vince Boryla (16) | 15–15 | |||||
31 | January 2 | N Milwaukee | 89–67 | Max Zaslofsky (27) | 16–15 | |||||
32 | January 4 | @ Indianapolis | 73–83 | Dick McGuire (15) | 16–16 | |||||
33 | January 6 | @ Minneapolis | 92–107 | Max Zaslofsky (18) | 16–17 | |||||
34 | January 8 | Rochester | 74–107 | Ernie Vandeweghe (18) | 17–17 | |||||
35 | January 10 | @ Syracuse | 96–110 | Connie Simmons (15) | 17–18 | |||||
36 | January 12 | Indianapolis | 77–86 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 18–18 | |||||
37 | January 13 | @ Rochester | 70–97 | Dick McGuire (15) | 18–19 | |||||
38 | January 19 | Philadelphia | 88–94 | Vandeweghe, Zaslofsky (20) | 19–19 | |||||
39 | January 21 | @ Baltimore | 99–83 | Dick McGuire (22) | 20–19 | |||||
40 | January 22 | @ Philadelphia | 82–78 | Simmons, Zaslofsky (17) | 21–19 | |||||
41 | January 26 | Indianapolis | 93–99 | Connie Simmons (25) | 22–19 | |||||
42 | January 27 | @ Fort Wayne | 92–100 | Max Zaslofsky (25) | 22–20 | |||||
43 | January 29 | N Indianapolis | 72–100 | George Kaftan (13) | 22–21 | |||||
44 | January 30 | @ Minneapolis | 65–77 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 22–22 | |||||
45 | February 2 | Boston | 83–91 | Dick McGuire (21) | 23–22 | |||||
46 | February 3 | @ Boston | 95–100 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 23–23 | |||||
47 | February 4 | @ Baltimore | 81–82 | Nathaniel Clifton (16) | 23–24 | |||||
48 | February 6 | Baltimore | 70–73 | McGuire, Zaslofsky (14) | 24–24 | |||||
49 | February 8 | N Baltimore | 103–83 | Ray Lumpp (23) | 25–24 | |||||
50 | February 9 | Philadelphia | 86–96 | Connie Simmons (18) | 26–24 | |||||
51 | February 12 | Syracuse | 69–78 | Connie Simmons (15) | 27–24 | |||||
52 | February 16 | Baltimore | 82–102 | Max Zaslofsky (26) | 28–24 | |||||
53 | February 17 | @ Syracuse | 61–66 | Harry Gallatin (11) | 28–25 | |||||
54 | February 19 | Minneapolis | 96–98 | Max Zaslofsky (23) | 29–25 | |||||
55 | February 22 | @ Philadelphia | 95–118 | Harry Gallatin (22) | 29–26 | |||||
56 | February 23 | Fort Wayne | 77–82 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (24) | 30–26 | |||||
57 | February 25 | @ Baltimore | 89–84 | Dick McGuire (17) | 31–26 | |||||
58 | March 1 | Boston | 84–78 | Ernie Vandeweghe (22) | 32–26 | |||||
59 | March 2 | @ Boston | 89–87 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 33–26 | |||||
60 | March 4 | Rochester | 90–92 (OT) | George Kaftan (30) | 34–26 | |||||
61 | March 5 | N Baltimore | 88–82 | Simmons, Zaslofsky (19) | 35–26 | |||||
62 | March 8 | N Milwaukee | 99–103 | Max Zaslofsky (24) | 35–27 | |||||
63 | March 9 | @ Fort Wayne | 79–80 | Harry Gallatin (25) | 35–28 | |||||
64 | March 12 | @ Minneapolis | 83–85 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 35–29 | |||||
65 | March 15 | Syracuse | 90–97 | Harry Gallatin (24) | 36–29 | |||||
66 | March 16 | @ Syracuse | 90–84 | Ernie Vandeweghe (19) | 37–29 |
Playoffs
Player statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Awards and records
See also
References
- "1951–52 New York Knicks Roster and Statistics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- Jaker, Bill; Sulek, Frank; Kanze, Peter (2008). The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921–1996. McFarland & Company. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7864-3872-3. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- "New York Knickerbockers Franchise Index". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- "1952 NBA Playoff Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- "Celtics–Heat Game 7 by the numbers: Can Boston complete NBA's first 3–0 comeback?". WBZ-TV. May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- "1951 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.